events in my area

We are Seattle’s first and only searchable Magic: the Gathering event calendar. Magic: the Gathering is a hugely popular collectible card game (over 20 Million players play it worldwide) with players wanting to play and/or compete in tournament events hosted near them. Until now, finding the location, date, time and format of events has been difficult.

Last year, for example, when I was looking for an Eldritch Moon pre-release event, I found out that one of my local game store was having 3 events on that Saturday. Checking their web site I found the pre-registration times for their events at 11am, 12am, and 5pm. The 11am pre-registration was sold out so I booked the 12am one, thinking that was noon, and only realized I had booked the Midnight session the day before. (Luckily, my friend pointed it out BEFORE I showed up at noon after asking which one I had booked.)

12AM = MIDNIGHT

12PM = NOON

In light of the issues surrounding this, we created the MTG Events calendar for players. All the Magic events of all types at all the local stores, searchable, so you can find out where and when to get a great game of magic. Let’s walk through the key features, first our calendar.

In the calendar view you are shown a simple calendar with Magic events within 10 miles of you (default assuming you are in the Seattle area). To see more events on a day, click the number of the day to switch to list view (on phones the list view is default).

You can narrow you search by selecting tags.

Or pick stores.

NOTE: on phones, these options are in the menu dropdown.

You can even change the search radius or center of search with the map. In the following example I reduced the search radius to 5 miles and searched from the middle of Tacoma.

After you’ve found the event want to attend you can save the event and we’ll even remind you!

Here’s how you do this. First choose the event to open the event details page.

This will display the event details page.

Choose the save, yes, or no button.

If you haven’t registered with ArcZap before you’ll need to sign up in order to save the event. Fortunately, sign up is easy using your Facebook account or an email address.

After you are signed up and logged in, when you choose save you will get the reminder options.

Pick your time frame and whether you would like an email or SMS text message reminder and choose ‘Remind Me’. Of course, we are only helping you find the event, you’ll still need to register, pre-register, or whatever is necessary with the tournament organizer who is hosting the event.

We hope you will find our searchable MTG Events calendar useful! We also want to know of any ways to make it more useful! If you have any feedback, you can use our feedback bar on the bottom of our site or leave messages in the comments below. Happing tapping and may your opening hands need no mulligans.

P.S. As of today, the Aether Revolt pre-releases are this weekend. You’ll be glad to know we set all midnight releases to Friday at 11:55PM. just to be clear… 😉

We love events. We love the idea of getting together with your friends and bonding over an interest that you share.

In honor of National Library Week, we wanted to showcase a place that has events all the time. These events can be fun, informative, or even lifechanging. Here are 10 types of events that happen at libraries.

All Free!

1) Video Gaming (Or Card Games)

We all have a little geek in us. It’s what makes us interesting and fun! Libraries host video game events for teens. Want an adult one? Send your local library a comment and see if they can sponsor it!

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2) Survival

Did you know some libraries have events on how to survive in the wilderness? Or how to survive through college. They try to find ways to help people through bringing in professionals who have advice or authors who have lived through it all.

Flickr: Quinn Dombroski

3) Authors

That’s right. Libraries bring in famous and local authors to connect to the public. What a better reason to read a book? Or write a book?

Flickr: Joanna Penn

4) Business classes

Libraries want to develop communities by helping people turn their passions in to dreams, and then even to reality. Have you ever wanted to start your own business? Look no further than at your local library.

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5) ESL classes

Or even citizenship classses. These free classes are always attended well because there is a need. Libraries want to fill this need of building skills to find a job or go to school.

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6) Children’s Storytimes

Many of us have or will have children in the near future. Going to storytimes help jumpstart your child’s literacy skills by singing, playing, talking, reading, and writing! Even babies that are newborns benefit from these programs. The libraries give you tips on how to engage your child. It is also a great place to meet the same parents every week and form a communities of parents trying to pull it all together. Usually, they succeed.

7) Science Programs

Since we are talking about children, libraries provide many STEAM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) for free! For example, have you ever wanted to build a rollercoaster? Or a robot that you can command? Many libraries have these resources for elementary age children and teens to explore!

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8) Technology Classes

For all ages, libraries provide free technology classes on everything from how to use a mouse to Adobe photoshop. Some libraries even have tech centers with a greenscreen and a camera for you to use. You won’t know until you check it out!

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9) Shakespeare, Opera, and More!

If the community wants programs about the arts, the libraries provide. Sometimes it’s a movie, sometimes it’s a real play.

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10) Book Groups, Language Circle, and More!

Have we gotten the point across that libraries have all sorts of events? It’s true. For example, check out the the Seattle Public Library Calender. There’s language learning groups, book groups, and even Shakespeare’s First Folio!!!

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We’re still at that point where we can’t believe these events are free to the public, whether you have a library card or not. Librarians are the best even planners.

Near UW

Declared “a postmodernist pioneer in the use of verbal material in dance” by The New York Times, Jane Comfort addresses contemporary social and cultural issues with compassion and wit. The company is an extraordinary group of dancers, actors and singers whose multiple talents allow Comfort to create layered works utilizing a wide range of theatrical elements. The program features the critically acclaimed Beauty. This provocative dance theater work explores the American notion of female attractiveness by framing the dialogue of the cultural pressures surrounding women’s physique, attire and appearance around the quintessential image of Barbie. Beauty is “wickedly funny and …isn’t interested in forgiveness” (The New York Times).

Sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar emits sonic beauty as she explores Indian music, electronica, jazz, flamenco and Western classical music. The daughter and student of the legendary Ravi Shankar, her genre-defying style produces music as intriguing as it is beautiful. A three-time Grammy nominee, Shankar has collaborated with a diverse roster of artists including Sting, Mstislav Rostropovich, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Thievery Corporation, Herbie Hancock and her half-sister Norah Jones.

Near BC

The practice of meditation can contribute to a more positive, healthy lifestyle; a tool to reduce stress, gain a deeper sense of fulfillment in life as well as foster greater physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Join Ajili Hodari, Esq., who has been meditating for over 30 years as he connects meditation and spiritual development to important aspects of our lives.

Classical KING FM 98.1 is the Pacific Northwest’s voice for classical music and the arts. “On Stage with KING FM” adds to that dimension by sharing our love of live performance. We hope you enjoy and spread the word. In 2015/2016, Classical KING FM presents 6 concerts featuring some of our region’s top classical music and crossover artists.

Seattle Rock Orchestra Quintet (along with the mesmerizing Tamara Power-Drutis) transforms popular song into art song, performing a program that reimagines the work of artists such as Radiohead, Beck, Bjork and others as intimate and emotional chamber works born for the recital hall.

Near CWU

An all-day literary event, NOON – 10:00 pm, taking place at various venues within easy walking distance in historic downtown Ellensburg. Featured poets include Tod Marshall, WA State Poet Laureate; Jake Andrews, WA State Poetry Out Loud 2016 Champion; and many other highly acclaimed NW poets from Bellingham, Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, and Yakima. The prowl also includes craft talks, open mics, and a book fair. Immerse yourself in metaphor. Admission is FREE.

With Sakura Con in just a few days, it’s hard to keep your head straight. You may be super excited and forget some vital luggage items that may save you a lot of money and time.

1. Deodorant

Flickr: CaptMikey9

It’s easy to forget deodorant when you already have some on when you leave the door. However, this is a whole weekend of walking around and going to events. You don’t want to borrow your hotel-mates deo if you could have had your own.

2. A Change of Clothes… at least

Flickr: Connie Ma

Those jeans may be ok for the next few days (really, it’ll be ok), but don’t forget to bring a new shirt and some underwear for each day you will be at the convention. The worst thing is to have someone notice you haven’t changed your clothes. If you are wearing a costume, make sure to have something underneath that you can change out (a tank top, shirt, etc).

In addition to clothes, you can also bring a pillow just in case you have to sleep on the floor.

3. A Bottle of Water

Flickr: Konstantin Stepanov

Even though Seattle water is awesome, you may not want to walk to the store a buy a bottle (especially if you are on a winning streak in the game center).

4. Snacks and Food

Flickr: Skyseeker

Eating out can get expensive with the Cheesecake Factory being right across the street. For meals that you are not going out to get with friends, make sure to bring peanut butter, jelly, honey, or any other non-perishable to make a sandwich. Cereal and non-perishable milk or ramen are great too. Mmmhmmmm.. ramen 🙂

5. Camera

Flickr: Amy Aletheia Cahill

If you are as excited about seeing other costumes like most people, you probably won’t forget this vital item (that is probably on your phone too). Just in case, here’s a reminder.

6. Costume First-Aid Kit

Flickr: Ozzy Delaney

Yes, the con has a place where they can help you through a costume emergency. However, if you need it ASAP or you don’t want to wait, bring your own kit. This kit should have a sewing needle, thread, duct tape, buttons, scissors (mini ones!), and safety pins.

7. Extra Room in Your Luggage

Flickr: twentymindsomething

Some people do like to ship large amounts of things back home because they buy so much. But if you are buying a moderate amount, save money by just leaving a bit of room in your luggage. Pack light. It’s only a couple days.

8. Emergency Money

Flickr: 401(K) 2012

Don’t spend all your money! You never know when you have a last minute emergency and you need a couple bucks. Sure, your new Seattle local friends may help if it was urgent but you don’t want to start your relationship on such a bad foot.

9. Comfortable Shoes

Flickr: Joseph Brent

Those wood sandals may look comfortable for the first few hours but they may start making you cranky. Bring another pair of flip flops or comfortable shoes that will last you the whole 72 hours.

10. Your Phone Charger/Contact List

Flickr: Godwin D

Don’t let your phone die and miss out on making a long-term friend at the con. That doppelganger may not have a lot of time to chit-chat right there. In that case, you may try an email, or a social media site. However, not everyone is comfortable with using social media that may harm their privacy. If that is the case (or you just want to), log into ArcZap and add them to your group with an email address. This way, they can use an alias that you will remember.

Are we missing any other essential items? Have fun at this convention or some of the other ones coming up!

Events and networking events are hard to go to. Not all of us are extroverted and feel comfortable with striking up a conversation with a total stranger. It’s just not us.

However, there are many ways and reasons to go to events.

The first reason,

1) Human beings were made to socialize

Socializing makes us happy. That’s why customer service is such a highly valued part of retail. Happy employees, happy customers. Next time you get your groceries checked out, smile and ask the cashier how they are doing. This is a nice gesture for the employee but also for yourself.

The second reason is more lucrative,

2) You can’t network without meeting new people

Especially for us college students, networking is a fundamental part of getting that dream job (or that entry level job that will get us to our dream job). So practice practice practice. Go to some events that are made up of your existing social group. Or create your own get-together for just your group!

3) Learn something new

Many people go to events (chess club, martial art practice, or MAGIC) to learn something new. Life-long learning is a valuable skill to achieve life-long happiness. Make a bucket list of all the things you wish you knew how to do. Then find other people or groups who do those things. Approach them as a beginner and they will show you the ropes. Who knows, you may find your next best friend.

4) Be able to answer the question, “How was your weekend?” with pride

Some of us love to spend our day offs alone at home. However, why not divide up your weekend in half and do something on Friday/Saturday and then have a lazy afternoon? Being away for a part of the weekend makes the lazy Sunday that much sweeter. Being able to tell your colleagues a little bit about yourself outside of work/school also strengthens your relationship with them. It makes your time with them go by faster because you have something to talk about.

Now for the real reason why we all go to events…

5) Free food!

College events have been increasingly providing food for attendees because that’s what attracts us. Food in the dorms is so expensive and the grocery store is just too far away. Cooking is also a hassle in your small apartment/dorm. Or you may just not have time for it.

We just released a new version of our site and we think you will love it. Not only did we listen to all of your feedback and made drastic changes, we also created a whole new section of our site for EVENTS.